Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-20

Will Derive From This Out-O1 nm eh.
Northern Pacific.
The special telegram which was pub.
lished in our issue Of yesterday announcins
the successful completion of tho prelimi.
nary survey Of q railroad line from Three
Forks, near the main line of the Northern
Pacific Railroad, at Gallatin, to a point on
the eastern extension Of the Butte 4 Boul.
der Valley Railroad, now under construc-
ton. was the subject OF q good deal OF
speculation in railroad circles yesterday.
A gentleman whose sources OF information
on this point are thorough, and by whom
the situation is comprehended in all its
ra~mi6cations, was interviewed about the
proposed road and it's advantages, and
had this to say 1.-THE information is no
doubt authentic, coming as it does from
Col. j. B. Clough, who has been q promi-
nent civil engineer in the service of the
Northern Pacific Railroad for the past ten
years and at present is engineer in charge
OF construction Of the Butte 4 Boulder Val.
icy Railroad. Tit citizens OF Butte have
for the past five years been strongly urg-
ing the Northern Pacific to give Butte
4 DIRECT OUTLET
at or near Bozeman, ard have been I'M
ceasing in their endeavors to call the at:
tention OF the proper officers of that road
to the invaluable benefits which undoubt.
eddy would accrue to the company on tho
completion OF such a. undertaking. TIE
advantages to Butte would be manifold.
The smelling works could be supplied with
unlimited supplies Of coal and coke at q
very moderate figure. on account of the
freight and being such q short distance
from the coal fields in the vicinity of Tim
berline add Boseman. The line OF the road
would penetrate a rich section OF mineral
country and make valuable many mining
properties that to-day lie dormant for
want of transportatio facilities at q rea-
sonabls cost; The agricultural interests in
the Gallatin Valley would receive q fresh
stimulus. as the producers would no longer
find themselves shut out OF the Butte mar
ket by reason of the present competition
from Utah points.
NOT THE LEAST IMPORTANT
point, however, which the Northern Pa
ci6c would gain by constructing the new
road in contemplation would be the i'm
mense saving of mileage haul to and from
the East. The present distance to and
from Eastern points would be shortened
by upwards of one hundred miles. This
reduction of freight haul, even in q prairie
would show q heavy reduction in
operating expenses. but when it is taken
into account that the grades to and from
the Mullan tunnel could almost entirely
be abandoned by the building of this new
line, the additional saving to the company
y ould be sufficient to pay for the building
OF the branch in two years. The coming
of the Montana Central to this mammoth
freight center in conjunction with the Man
itoba road, backed with millions Of dol
lars from Boston and New York, is q mat
ter Of such serious moment to the North
ern Pacific that it is not a matter of sur
prise that the latter company is more than
eager to TAX advantage OF
EVERY srRA1EeIcAL POINT
that may offer at this time. It goes
without saying that the recent experience
Of the Northern Pacific in operating the
road over the Mullan Pass has caused the
directors of the company to seriously con-
slider the advisability OF constructing the
Three Forks railroad. Another incentive
to q rapid construction of the new line can
be seen in the fact that brisk competition
for business will be encountered as soon as
the Manitoba road reaches this Territory.
In the event of a general reduction OF rates
the company with the shortest hanl would
be in a postum to hold it's own against all
and this is the point which the
Northern Pacific would gain. The addition
al cost Of completing this new project over
above the estimates for the Butte 4
Boulder Valley railroad would not exceed
$3.50, 900 and we should all hope that the
work OF the locating engineers will be ap.
proved at an early day and that the
Northern Pacific stands ready to build the
road this season."